News List

The Government of Bangladesh has signed an agreement with a Bandgladesh-China joint venture to upgrade 190 kilometers of the Elenga–Hatikumrul–Rangpur section of the Dhaka-Northwest Corridor, under the SASEC program.

Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena and Mr. Takehiko Nakao, President, Asian Development Bank, signed three agreements, including a $300-million loan to construct about 5.3 kilometers of an elevated toll highway linking Colombo's international port and the country’s expressway network under the South Asian Subregional Economic Cooperation Port Access Elevated Highway Project.

Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi undertook her first state visit to Nepal. She paid a courtesy call to Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli where they explored how to further expand their bilateral ties. At the Nepal Chamber Expo 2018, she delivered a speech urging both countries to improve economic relations. She also emphasized both countries’ membership to the SASEC program.

The Simrutu River Small Hydropower Project, a micro-hydropower plant developed under the SASEC Program, is nearing completion in Rukum District, Nepal. The power plant will produce 200 kilowatts of electricity for rural communities and will be the largest hydropower project in the district once completed. The project is partially financed by the Asian Development Bank.

A new project to improve Nepal’s East-West Highway is set to strengthen regional connectivity, promote growth and trade, and improve road safety. An 87-kilometer section of the East-West Highway, also known as the Mahendra Highway, will be widened to four lanes and will be improved to include a center median, service lanes in populated areas, and a drainage system.

A toll highway to be built in central Colombo will ease traffic congestion, improve connectivity, and facilitate trade logistics in Sri Lanka. The Asian Development Bank has approved a $300 million loan to help in the construction of about 5.3 kilometers of the highway, under the SASEC Port Access Elevated Highway Project.

The author highlights how fast-paced infrastructure development could help unlock competencies of India’s northeast region. With the Government of India's focus on promoting the northeastern region as a key trade gateway, projects such as the 1,400 kilometer India-Myanmar-Thailand highway and the SASEC Road Connectivity project, promises to boost the country's trade and commerce, and enhance India’s logistics capabilities.

By investing in infrastructure that improves connectivity and reduces transport times to key markets, South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation countries could reap major benefits, a new Asian Development Bank study says.

Bangladesh’s Executive Committee of the National Economic Council has approved a project to install a high-voltage direct-current back-to-back substation at Comilla in Bangladesh for importing 500 megawatts of electricity from Tripura, India.

The 9th Annual Ministerial Meeting of Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) on Trade and Transport was held to discussed key issues in transport, transit cooperation, trade, and trade facilitation among LLDCs. Bhutan and Nepal sent delegations to the Meeting. They highlighted initiatives being taken to connect their countries to the global market, including bilateral agreements in the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal subregion and the SASEC Trade Facilitation Program.

This case study reviews how the Subregional Transport Facilitation Project removed roadblocks to Nepal's trade. The project, approved in 4 November 2004 and completed in 21 September 2010, made flow of import and export goods to Nepal easier, faster, and smoother. Learn how the project lowered the cost of capital for cargo in Nepal by 12% annually, making the country better connected to the subregional economy.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council of the Government of Bangladesh approved revisions to the project to upgrade the Joydevpur-Chandra-Tangail-Elenga Road into a four-lane highway. Revisions include extension of deadline and increase in funding. The Asian Development Bank will provide financing support through the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) road connectivity project.

The Government of India launched the test phase for railway movement of goods entering Nepal via the Biratnagar check post. The Container Corporation of India began carrying freight bound for Jogbani in Bihar, the nearest rail station to Biratnagar, on 25 April 2018. This development follows implementation of the electronic cargo tracking system.

The National Highways Authority of India signed on 11 April 2018 an agreement to widen the Yagyi-Kalewa section of the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway. Construction is also underway for the Imphal-Kangchup-Tamenglong road under the SASEC Road Connectivity Investment Program. These projects will improve the flow of vehicular traffic and enhance trade, health services, and tourism in India, Myanmar, and Thailand.

South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Secretary General Amjad Hussain Sial met with ADB President Takehiko Nakao to discuss ways to increase cooperation between SAARC and ADB. Mr. Sial noted the prospects for better cooperation between SAARC and SASEC.

The Governments of Nepal and India are preparing to launch the Electronic Cargo Tracking System (ECTS) as soon as possible. It received the green light from Nepal's Council of Ministers in January 2018. The planned pilot will run for three months, covering cargo entering Nepal by rail in Birgunj and by road in Biratnagar and Bhairawa. ADB is supporting the piloting of the project through the SASEC Program.

The SASEC Program ended 2017 on a high note, having launched the SASEC Vision, welcomed Myanmar as a full member of SASEC, invested almost $1 billion in three new projects during the year, and seen total program investment rise to $10.74 billion for 49 loan/grant projects. The SASEC Vision paved the way in 2017 for strengthened partnership and economic cooperation between the countries of South Asia and Southeast Asia, by leveraging opportunities and synergies found in natural resources.

An ADB-funded project is upgrading power lines and substations in 49 locations in Nepal to enhance the country’s electricity distribution system. The $191 million SASEC Power System Expansion Project aims to increase the load-bearing capacity of transmission lines in Nepal.

Trading across borders, a key component of a country's ease of doing business, can be quantified through a time release study (TRS). This commentary discusses the outcomes of a TRS conducted at the Jawaharlal Nehru Custom House (JNCH), which identified practices that will allow India to achieve the average release time of 72 hours, and proposed recommendations that the Customs department can lead going forward.

ADB held a Regional Cooperation and Integration (RCI) Week to asses strategic RCI themes and initiatives in Asia and the Pacific and to define ADB implementation of its RCI Operational Plan. ADB also presented RCI Best Performers Awards, recognizing the SASEC Program for the SASEC Vision: Powering Asia in the 21st Century, and for leading the SASEC Road Connectivity Investment Program Multitranche Financing Facility Project.

In his keynote address at the ADB Regional Cooperation and Integration Week, ADB President Takehiko Nakao stated that regional cooperation is critical to securing Asia’s economic future. He noted ADB’s continued commitment to support regional cooperation as a means to reduce inequality and overcome infrastructure gaps, and cited specific SASEC projects as effective examples. The ADB Regional Cooperation and Integration Week was held on 27-29 November 2017, in Manila, Philippines.

The new-look SASEC website is fully mobile-friendly and automatically adjusts to fit the screen you are using — computer, tablet, or mobile phone—making it a convenient choice for staying in touch with regional cooperation throughout South Asia. SASEC has also updated to HTTPS for enhanced cybersecurity and user privacy.

SASEC conceptualized the Information Highway Project to assist cooperation in the region and realize SASEC's goals of social and trade development. The project is being implemented in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal with the aim of making ICT more accessible to remote communities in these countries. It is expected to help SASEC countries increase their productivity and participate fully in the global information economy.

The Government of Bangladesh will develop four land ports as part of its initiatives to increase trade and commerce with India. Around $85.2 million was approved by Bangladesh's Executive National Economic Council to improve the Sheola, Bhomra, and Ramgarh land ports. Another project will be undertaken to modernize security at Benapole land port.

India’s Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, gave its approval for a $253,406,409 project to be implemented by the state-run National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation. The project, part of the SASEC Road Connectivity Investment Program, will upgrade and widen 65 kilometers of the Imphal-Moreh section of National Highway 39 in northeastern India.

An electronic tracking system will soon ease traffic-in-transit for cargo traveling by road and rail from Kolkata to four major Customs points of Nepal, including the Raxaul route. Mr. Sandeep Kumar, Customs Commissioner, India, and Mr. Rabi Shanker Sainju, Commerce Ministry Joint Secretary, Nepal, signed a memorandum of intent to pilot the tracking system for a trial period of at least 90 days in late 2017.

Finance ministers and senior officials of member countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka met on 5 May at Yokohama, Japan, at the sidelines of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) 50th Annual General Meeting.

SASEC Powering Asia in the 21st Century defines the SASEC Vision, setting the SASEC partnership on a path to help transform the subregion into Asia's powerhouse in the 21st century. The Vision steps up cooperation among SASEC member countries, guiding them how to transform transport corridors into industrial and economic corridors, and promoting sustainable economic growth by generating synergies among SASEC member countries.

Bangladesh has the potential to become a transport hub for India, Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Myamar, according to Mr. AMA Muhith, Finance Minister, Bangladesh. Turning Bangladesh into a regional and transshipment hub would enhance economic cooperation and result in collective economic growth for the countries, Mr. Muhith said at the SASEC Finance Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi, India.

SASEC is now on Facebook, connecting followers to the most up-to-date news on regional cooperation in South Asia, SASEC events, project information, and publications that are all featured daily on www.sasec.asia. To follow SASEC on Facebook, simply click here; then click “Like” at the top of the Facebook page.

Two of three South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation project components are seeing progress in Bhutan. A planned mini dry port project aims to provide cargo and other commercial vehicles a route that avoids traffic jams in the border town of Phuentsholing. A 2.66-kilometer bypass will also be built to connect Bau Bazaar in Jaigon and the Phuentsholing-Thimphu highway.

A Regional Workshop on the SASEC Research and Training Network was held to assess the results and achievements of the SASEC Information Highway Project. The Meeting reviewed project implementation, discussed knowledge products, and summarized project benefits to rural communities. It also proposed ways to facilitate sustainable ICT cooperation among the four countries.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved an additional $20 million for the SASEC Power System Expansion Project in Nepal, to be provided by the ADB Strategic Climate Fund. This additional financing will support installation of utility-scale solar photovoltaic systems by 2018. The Government of Nepal is also providing complementary funding of $24.5 million.

The SASEC project portfolio has surpassed the $9 billion mark with the December 2016 approval of Nepal’s SASEC Roads Improvement Project, worth $256.5 million. There are now 44 SASEC investment projects worth a cumulative $9.13 billion. During 2016, seven projects have been approved for a total of $2.37 billion.

The Asian Development Bank has approved a loan for $187 million to Nepal for the SASEC Roads Improvement Project, which will upgrade transport connectivity and bring transformational gains by making social services more accessible, opening up previously untapped economic opportunities, and supporting trade between Nepal and India.

The Sri Lanka Ports Authority and the Asian Development Bank has engaged the Maritime and Transport Business Solution company to develop a National Ports Master Plan to further strengthen Sri Lanka's port sector.

ADB has approved a multitranche financing facility and grant of $500 million for the Visakhapatnam-Chennai Industrial Corridor Development Program to develop India’s first coastal industrial corridor, with the Government of India also contributing $215 million in funding. The Visakhapatnam-Chennai Industrial Corridor is a key section of India’s planned East Coast Economic Corridor.

The six member countries of the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation Program have launched the SASEC Operational Plan for 2016-2025. The plan expands the program’s focus beyond intraregional cooperation to deepening linkages with Southeast and East Asia, and widens the scope of transport, trade facilitation, and energy cooperation to include economic corridor development as a priority initiative. The plan also lists more than 200 potential regional projects for South Asia.

The interactive SASEC Corridor Map on the SASEC Program website and SASEC Mobile App is your gateway to SASEC projects. View projects by sector—energy, transport, trade facilitation, and ICT—or by corridor using the interactive map, to learn how the SASEC program is helping promote regional prosperity in South Asia. The map also includes project information and links to SASEC project pages.

Bhutan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka have expressed interest in adopting best practices of the Indian Trade Portal in setting up their own trade portals to promote international trade. Trade portals to be set up by Bhutan and Nepal will also be useful for cargo being routed through India, and will contribute to the common documentation system needed to implement the World Trade Organization's Trade Facilitation Agreement.

A proposed SASEC road upgrade project in Bangladesh will improve the country’s transport system and enhance trade and investment in the region, according to Mr. Obaidul Quader of the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges

Version 2.0 of the SASEC Program Mobile App is now available for download. With improved user interface and layout, updated offline data, faster caching, and smaller app size, the updated SASEC Program Mobile App is lighter, quicker, and more user friendly.

Economic dynamism in the Asia-Pacific region has been driven primarily by individual economies, yet to ensure sustainable growth in the future, countries must integrate and cooperate to share prosperity, according to the 2014edition of the Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific.

A Trade Facilitation Agreement Facility was launched by the WTO on 22 July 2014, further ensuring that least developed countries and developing countries will receive necessary assistance in implementing the trade facilitation agreement.

Nepal’s Alternative Energy Promotion Centre has installed its first wind-solar hybrid system in Dhaubadi village of Nawalparasi district, with Asian Development Bank support. The clean energy approach of this successful pilot project, already providing energy services to 46 rural households, can be replicated under a proposed SASEC power system expansion project.

Mr. Madhu Kumar Marasini, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Finance represented the Government of Nepal at the official launch of activities under a $1.5 million technical assistance project financed by the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction, on 21 May 2014 in Kathmandu, Nepal. The capacity development technical assistance will support trade facilitation initiatives being carried out under the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) Trade Facilitation Program.

ADB's South Asia Regional Cooperation Divison and the World Customs Organization organized a workshop held in Thimpu Bhutan from 26-28 November to help prepare Bhutans accession to the Revised Kyoto Convention.

The SASEC energy working group agreed to conduct feasibility studies for three new priority large-scale cross-border transmission projects worth over $3 billion at a meeting on 9 November 2012 in Thimphu Bhutan.

Following the SASEC Trade Facilitation and Transport Working Group (TFTW) Meeting in Bangkok in October 2011 the TFTWG met again in Kolkata on 5 March 2012 and agreed on a list of investment and technical assistance projects.